Supercarriers

A Supercarrier is a super-capital ship that technically falls into the Carrier grouping for skill purposes, though due to its immense size and scope is considered by most pilots to be in a class of its own. Supercarriers are the second-largest class of ship within EVE, only outclassed by Titans.

Like Titans, Supercarriers are not able to dock in stations or outposts, and can only dock in Extra Large citadels, Keepstars.

Bonuses

General

All supercarriers have definitive bonuses that allow them to fulfill their designated roles:

• Can deploy 5 flights of fighters (2 more than regular carriers), and are the only class of ship that can launch Heavy Fighters.
• Can fit Burst Projectors.
• Can fit 3 Command Bursts.
• Can fit Tactical Capsuleer Recloner.

Race-Specific

In addition, supercarriers are role-specific by the race in which they belong. The following benefits are listed by race, based on the pilot's racial Carrier skill:

Amarr (Aeon)

• 7.5% bonus to Fighter damage
• 4% bonus to all armor resistances
• 5+ bonus to ship warp core strength
• 5% reduction in Weapon Disruption Burst Projector cycle time
• 2% bonus to Armored Command and Information Command burst strength and duration

Caldari (Wyvern)

• 7.5% bonus to Fighter damage
• 4% bonus to all shield resistances
• 5+ bonus to ship warp core strength
• 5% reduction in ECM Jammer Burst Projector cycle time
• 2% bonus to Shield Command and Information Command burst strength and duration

Gallente (Nyx)

• 10% bonus to Fighter damage
• 5% bonus to Fighter hitpoints
• 5+ bonus to ship warp core strength
• 5% reduction in Sensor Dampening Burst Projector cycle time
• 2% bonus to Armored Command and Skirmish Command burst strength and duration

Minmatar (Hel)

• 10% bonus to Fighter damage
• 5% bonus to Fighter velocity
• 5+ bonus to ship warp core strength
• 5% reduction in Target Illumination Burst Projector cycle time
• 2% bonus to Shield Command and Skirmish Command burst strength and duration

Sansha's Nation (Revenant)

Amarr Carrier bonuses (per skill level):

• 5% bonus to Fighter damage
• 5% bonus to Fighter weapon explosion radius and explosion velocity
• 3+ bonus to ship warp core strength

Caldari Carrier bonuses (per skill level):

• 5% bonus to Fighter damage
• 20% bonus to Afterburner velocity bonus
• 3+ bonus to ship warp core strength

Serpentis (Vendetta)

Gallente Carrier bonuses (per skill level):

• 10% bonus to Fighter damage
• 5% bonus to Fighter hitpoints
• 3+ bonus to ship warp core strength

Minmatar Carrier bonuses (per skill level):

• 5% bonus to Fighter velocity
• 10% bonus to Stasis Webification Burst Projector effectiveness
• 3+ bonus to ship warp core strength

Use

Offensively, supercarriers are a powerful anti-capital ship asset. With a large number of Heavy Fighter flights deployed, capital ships take a brutal assault when swarmed by them. Carriers and dreadnaughts fall quickly to a supercarrier, while a similar supercarrier or titan may take longer.

In addition to the massive damage Heavy Fighters offer, supercarriers are able to support their fleet through various types of Burst Projectors. These modules give suppercarriers the ability to apply electronic and capacitor warfare effects in an area of effect while at range.

When it is possible to effectively defend them (which typically requires a supercapital fleet available as backup and bringing in that fleet more difficult after the September 2019 cyno changes due to the necessity of an alt on standby with a Tech II ship for the purpose rather than having the module fit to the supercarrier), supercarriers can provide some of the highest income possible in NullSec by running combat anomalies for NPC kill bounties.

Weaknesses

Supercarriers' defining offensive weapons are Heavy Fighters, which are very effective against structures, other capitals and large subcapitals like battleships, but they will have a hard time applying damage to anything smaller.

While supercarriers have very high warp core strength, they can still be prevented from warping by interdiction bubbles, mobile warp disruption fields, warp disruption field generators, or simply a large enough number of conventional warp disruptors and warp scramblers.

Previously, a supercarrier was at its most vulnerable while under construction. To construct a supercarrier, a capital ship assembly array would have to have been anchored and deployed within a POS shield, inside a system where the owner holds sovereignty. The construction time on supercapitals is very long and an occupied CSAA would have made a tempting strategic target for enemy alliances. However, citadels are much easier to defend than starbases, especially XL ones such as the Sotiyo, the only one that is capable of constructing supercapital ships. It is no longer practical to cripple an alliance's supercapital fleet by shutting down production because this would require bringing capital fleets into hostile space for multiple timers, which the defenders would consider to be of the utmost priority.